Humidity control for cooking heaters



' Feb. 25, 1930. M. w. FAHERTY 1,748,933

HUMIDITY CONTROL FOR COOKING HEATERS Filed Nov. 7, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 SJ mum W00 Jul may Feb. 25', 1930. M, FAHERTY 1,748,933

HUMIDITY CONTROL FOR COOKING HEATERS Filed Nov. 7. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E] mu mwo'a A! "(i W20 Patented Feb. 25, 1930 UN1TED5TATES MICHAEL w, IAIHERTY,

or rnoiamx, A en HU IDI Y con'rno'r. non cooxxne HEATERS Application filed Kovember 7,1923. Serial No. erases.

This invention relates'to a humidity con-- trol for cooking heaters or more specifically i to a moisture introducing device particular- 1y adapted for bringing the moisture contentof kernels or meats of seed to the proper percentage. i v

During all the years that kernelsor meats of seed have been cooked or heated'to'facilitate the extraction of oil therefrom, the

10 proper moisture content in the meats has been a very vexing problem. If, for instance, there has been plenty of rainfall previous to the time that cotton is picked, the seed'has an excess of moisture. This applies also to 1 all other oil-bearing seeds. Heating ofthe vseed'while in storage, preparatory to being manufactured s a very common'resultof excess molstureo If the kernels or meats are sent to the press-room containing excess moisture, they cannot be successfully handled in the press-room until afterthe moisture has;

been reduced to the proper percentage, such I reduction being usually made by heating the meats in the cookers for a longer period than necessary, supplemented by an exhaust fan forremoving the vapor as it is generated by the application of heat to the seed. How-- ever, when meats are kept in the cookers for a period longer than is requlred to accomplish the cooking,-the oil obtained is dark'in color and a very considerable loss results in refining this oil. Another obvious ob ection to this method of moisture content reduction I is that under these conditions less tonnage 1s put through a mill in a given period of time with a resultant higher labor and production cost.

- To overcome the danger of seed heating in storage many mills have adopted the plan of 49 mechanically drying the seed immediately as it comes from the car or wagon. However, such a plan causes dlificulty at a later period when the meats must have moisture added thereto forproper cooking. I

4 3 In some of the WesternStates Where there" is very little rainfall the seed is always lacking in suiiicieut moisture for cooking. For an example,'wl'icn'therc is less than 6% mois- Euro in meats, additional moisture must be addedand whcn'the moisture content is in 'moisturemust be added tothe meats.

excess of 9% when the meats enter the cooker,

some of it must beremoved before the meats are put in the. presses to extract the oil. In

practically every mill in all parts of "the country seed is received which does not have suflicient moisture content or has too-great a moisture content. However, the periods of deficiency in moisture are of longer duration so that during the greater part of each year- This failure is invariably the res ult of unequaldistribution of the moisture which causes considerable trouble at the rolls due to the fact that the portionsof meats containing an'excess moisture cling to the cant boards or diverging boards, and in. a short time, acomplete choking of an entire set of rolls may result. Itmay be safely stated that 'ever mill en ineerof an considerable length of-service has at some time endeavored to moisten the meats'in'advance of the rollsand in every casehas met with failureand 'abandoned the plan.-

duce moisture in the meats at some point during their passage from the rolls to the cook- Numerous efforts have been madelto introers. Also numerous attempts have been made they have entered-the cookers. However, all these have proven inefficient,unsatisfactory and objectionable as heretofore no method" to introduce moisture into the meatsafter has been devised whereby this additional moisture may be uniformly applied to the 'meats at the propicr stage', of their manufacture.

' It should be remembered that" persons skilled in thisparticular art have always been cognizant of the fact that the best results in cooking-and yield of oil were obtained when the meats had the correct amount of moisture present at'the timethcy passed through the that an average loss of at least two gallons.

of oil per ton of seed results because of, first: too much moisture at t1mes,and second; 1n-

sufficient moisture at other times.

From the above,.it will be apparent that there isan urgent need for a system that will insure the meats having exactly the same and proper amount of moisture content at all times, irrespective of the clim'aticconditions and amount of rainfall.

The crushing rolls in practically all oil mills for crushing variouskinds of oil-bearing seeds and kernels are usually five high and of varying diameters and length, dependient upon the required capacity. The rolls.

are in direct contact one with theother and rest upon and are supported by the bottom roll. Obviously with an arrangement ofthis character the'greatest crushing effect upon the meats takes place during their passage between the two .bottom rolls. The maxi- I mum and most eflicient crushing eflect occurs at this point for two reasons. First, because the meats during their travel three times be-- tween the upper rolls are partially prepared by the cross-sectional area of the kernels being increased and they being crushed to a nflaky condition, and secondly, because the greatest pressure per inch of projected area occurs between the two bottom rolls, this resulting from the combined weights of all the rolls above the bottom'one.

With a thorough knowledge of the above facts and with a comprehensive knowledge of the requirements necessary for efliciency in production, I have discovered that, first; moisture must be put in the meats as they pass through the rolls, second; that there is but one point in the passage of the meats be tween the rolls where moisture may be introduced-with no disturbing after effects, and third; a means of distributing moisture so that each particle of meats will receive the same amount and in any desired quantity. This latter is of supreme importance in obtaining the maximum oil yield through u'niform-cooking of the meats; incidentally it also greatly minimizes the formation of water balls in the cooking chambers and the oil cakes are, after pressing, uniform 7 throughout in density and color.

My invention therefore resides broadly in the discovery of the practical, most satisfactory and eflicient point during the manufacture of the seed for applying moisture con tent thereto, together with a practical embodiment of this discovery for satisfactory adaptation in use.

With the knowledge obtained by my invention as above described, thescope ofthe same may be broadened by utilizing this knowledge inconnection with a system of overcoming and eliminating the inefficiency in production resulting from fluctuations of moisture content ofthe meats as they enter the cookers. Suchv fluctuation now occurs daily,

, and even hourly, with noknown way for the operators of positively ascertaining when seed 'of improper moisture content is belngIplaced in the rolls and cookers.

This desired constancy of moisture content may be positively assuredby passing'all the ;meats as they come from the hulling and separating machinery through a drier immediatelyin advance of-theirentrance to the rolls .to be crushed. All the meats could, for instance, be reduced to say,:6% moisture con- "tent and for the purpose of illustration, it

will be assumedthat all the meats should have a 7% moisture content when they enter the cookers. Inasmuch as the weight of the meats passing through the rolls is practically constant in a mill of a given capacity, it

would be practical, with my invention as previously described,to introduce a given weight of fluid in a given time. The fluid employed WQllld' be suflicient to add the 1% moisture required. Thus, all the seed, irrespective of this moisture content previously present,

would, as it entered the cookers, have a uniform moisture content of aproper amount.

Onemechanical adaptation of my inven- 1 -tion will be described herein. in some detail and also illustrated: in the drawing as well as an obvious modification of one detail thereof but as this description proceeds, it will be apparent that the mechanical constructions illustrated in the drawing are solely for the purpose of disclosing a concrete example of the invention and application.

In, the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view partly in elevation, of a set of five high rollers such as is customarily employed in hydraulic oil mills, with my invention attached,

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the structure illustrated in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a detail view partly in section of means for controlling the fluid,

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by line 44 in Fig. 3, y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view partly in sec,- tion indicating a modified form of the means for controlling the fluid, and,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken substantially on the plane indi:

- cated by line 6-6 in Fig. 5. a

I and length of the Referring now particularly to the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like-parts, itwill be noted that there is illustrated a set of crushing rolls 10, 12, preferably five high and of the type customarily eniployedin oil mills, the diameter rolls being dependent on the required capacity of the mill. Asis eus toma-ry these rolls are contained in a housing 11 and arranged in superposed relation,

resting one upon the other and being relaity of perforations 15, this spray pipe i that the liquid may be ejected therefrom and g against the-under face of 'tiv'ely slidable, the bottom rolls 12 the maximum crushing with the result that between effectonthe seed occurs. These rolls may be driven in any suitable and practical manner and as this forms no part of my invention, the driving means will not be referred to nor illustrated in detail.

Associated with the several rolls'are the usual being discharged into engagement with the passage between the upper meats. A plate 17 arranged in an inclined position with respect to the lowermost cant board 13, forms together with this cant board, a taperedhopper having a base forming a restricted opening 18 slightly separated from the lowermost roll.

Owing to the proximity of the point of discharge of the liquid with the surface of the lowermost roll, this roll receives all of the liquid discharged and carries the same in its direction of rotation indicated by ar row A in Fig. 2. This permits of the liquid .being intimately and uniformly applied and I mixed with the meats passing through the two lowermost rolls 12. It will be remembered that as previouslypointed out, the

maximum or greatest pressure per square v inch upon the meats occurs between the two lowermost rolls and furthermore that the condition of the meats because of their previous vantageous at this lower point for addition of this moisture.

Extra scrapers 19 and 20 may be provided.

I to keep the rolls entirely clean of such material as may be inclined to adhere to the.

the cookers.

faces thereof. The material after passing between the last "pair of rolls falls upon the lowermost cant board 13' and'is discharged through an opening 21 where it is deposited (not shown) and taken to upon a conveyor Obviously, means must be provided for rolls is most adpositively and accurately regulating the supply of liquid-passingto the spray pipe 14 and while obvious mechanical expedients suggest themselves, still I have found two methods of accomplishing this which are efficient and simple inoperation. Referring toFigs. 3 and 4 wherein one arrangement is illustrated it will be noted that the reference charactor 22 indicates a water supply pipe interposed in' which there is'a strainer 23 with a perforated screen with holes sufiiciently small to protect the apertures 15 formed in the pipe 14. The pipe 22 is also provided with a coupling, the one part 24 of which may be recessed to receive any one of a numberof preferably steel-discs 25, each-disc being pling is disengaged,jthe desired disc may be stormed with a centrally arranged aperture 26 of different size. A coupling nut 27 may. be suitably operated so that when the couinserted thus accurately and positively-regulating the amount of water which may be fed to the spray pipe 14. The supply pipe 22 is also preferably provided with a three-way valve 28 and a spout 29 may be provided.

where the volume and weight of the liquid passing through the discs 25 and consequentj 1y to the spray pipe 14 maybe tested.

By referring to Figs. 5 and 6, another mechanical arrangement for positively and accurately gauging the amount of water permitted to flow through the spray 'pipe 14 will bedescribed. In this arrangement there is provided a 'valve30 the plug 31 of which is formed with any number of valve openings 32 of various sizes. In this arrangement the supply pipe is indicated byv theref ere nce character 33, with a pipe 34 connected to the spray pipe 14. An operating handle 35 is employed for rotating the valve plug 31, it being possible to lock this handle in any of its adjusted positions by means of a pin 36 engaging any one of a number of apertures pro vided in a locking flange 37." Obviously the number of apertures arranged in the locking flange 37 will correspond to the number of valve openings 32 so that'wh'en the desired adjustment of the valve has been accom-- plished, the position of the handle will indicate this whereupon the handle can be locked by the insertion of. the pin 36. A'strainer wo uldalso be'inserted inthe supply pipe 33 for protecting the spray pipe 14.

In either of thesetwo suggestedarrangements it, will appear that the primary object soughti'to be accomplished is that of simply, positively amount of liquid which is to the spray pipe 14. It will be/als'o immediately-obvious that any person skilled in this artinay with little difficulty provide other arrangements for accomplishing with equal etliciency the purpose sought. Therefore in this connection it should.b'eunderstood that these mechanical arrangements herein (1e and accurately regulating thepermitted tofiow I, I v V scribed are for purposes of illustration only and that I am notlimited in any respect to the arrangements therein disclosed.

In operation the material is fed to the rolls 10 at the top thereof through a feeder (not shown) and is dropped to the left of the center of the top roll as shown in Fig. 2 whereupon it slides downwardly on the uppermost cant board and passes between the two upper rolls. By alternately arranging the cant boards, the material is successively engaged by the rolls, the pressure exerted upon the,

meats obviously increasing until a maximum pressureiis obtained between the lowermost rolls 12. Obviously because of the greater crushing moment obtained between the lowermost rolls the moisture is more firmly and uniformly introduced into the meats than would be otherwise possible.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that I by means of my invention it is possible to obtain a constant and uniform moisture content in the seeds at all times and inasmuch as the moisture content of seed, is, in most instances, less than that which insures efficient production, the utility of this arrangement is manifestly enhanced. As has been suggested hereinbefore, a method which will insure a constancy of moisture content in all seed may be produced by reducing the moisture 1 content of all seeds to a fixed amount lower than that required, or in other Words, to the lowest moisture content of any batch of seed. After this has been accomplished by means of my invention the moisture content of all the seeds may then be raised to that which has been determined most efficient so that irrespective of previous discrepancies in the amount of moisture content in the various onto a surface covered with a uniform film of liquid SllbJGCtlIlg them to pressure thereon,

discharging them therefrom, and continuously renewing the film of liquid on said surface.

2. The method of introducing moisture into oil-bearing meats or kernels of sub-normal moisture content, consisting in continuously feeding the meats or kernels onto a surface covered with a uniform film of liquid,

subjecting them to pressure thereon, discharging them therefrom, and continuously renewing the film of liquid on said surface, the amount of liquid supplied to said surface beingregulated so as to raise the moisture content of themeats or kernel substantially to normal.

The foregoing specification signed at Los Angeles, California, this twenty-ninth day of October, 1923.

MICHAEL W. FAHERTY. 

